This invention relates to a vending machine and, more particularly, to a vending machine capable of accurately returning a coin of the same denomination as that inserted in the vending machine in case the coin has once been inserted in the machine but should be returned because purchase of the goods is not made for one reason or another, and also capable of paying out change either in large denomination coins or in small denomination coins according to necessity and returning the inserted coin when the machine is short of a required change.
In vending machines of known types, returning of money equivalent in sum to an inserted coin for cases where purchase of the goods has not been made is achieved by using coins stored in a change coin stacking tube. If an amount of money equivalent to an inserted large denomination coin such as 100 yen is to be returned but the coin of the same denomination is not stored as change in the change coin stacking tube, small denomination coins such as 10 yen or 50 yen must be used. This causes shortage of change and if the shortage of change is to be avoided, the vending machine requires a large change coin stacking tube.
The prior art vending machine is also disadvantageous in that a return instruction tends to be given before the amount of the inserted coin is electrically calculated in case a return button is depressed immediately after the coin is inserted in the machine with a result that shortage or even absence of refund occurs.
In order to avoid shortage of change, another conventional type of vending machine employs a construction such that an inserted coin is temporarily retained and thereafter is transferred to a cash box when purchase is made or returned when it is to be refunded. This type of vending machine, however, requires a large and complicated mechanism for retaining all of the inserted coins. Besides, the retained coins cannot be used as change in this type of vending machine.
There is still another type of prior art vending machine which temporarily retains all inserted coins by the kind of coin and thereafter returns them when they are to be refunded and transfer them to change stacking tube when purchase is made. This type of vending machine also requires a complicated coin retaining mechanism and, moreover, has a defect that coins become jammed in a chute of the machine with a resulting faulty operation of the machine since a relatively large number of coins are transferred simultaneously from the coin retaining unit to the change stacking tubes.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novel and useful vending machine which has eliminated the above described disadvantages of the prior art vending machines.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine capable of counting and storing the amount and kind (denomination) of inserted coins and temporarily retaining a large denomination coin or coins among the inserted coins while storing small denomination coins in a change coin stacking tube provided for each denomination of coin so as to enable the machine to return the retained large denomination coin itself as well as return the same denomination of coins as the inserted small denomination coins from the change coin stacking tube. Each time the coin is returned, the amount of the coin is subtracted from the whole amount of the inserted coins and the coin return operation is finished when the balance becomes zero.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine incorporating a control system which produces a vend signal regardless of the amount of stored change when an inserted coin requires no change and, when the inserted coin requires change, returns a coin of the same denomination as the inserted coin only in case the machine is short of change.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine incorporating a control system which actuates a coin return mechanism when the amount of inserted coin or coins coincide with a set vend price or when a return button is depressed so as to return coins inserted in the machine thereafter. According to the inventive vending machine, a subtraction, change payment or return order is given with a delay of a predetermined period of time after a vend order signal or a return signal is received so as to ensure accurate detection, vend and return operations of the machine and thereby to eliminate an erroneous operation of the machine.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine capable of vending a plurality of pieces of one and the same commodity with a single coin depositing action.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine capable of selectively vending a plurality of different kinds of commodities.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vending machine in which adverse effects of noise is effectively prevented and an erroneous operation of the machine at the time of turning-on of power is completely eliminated.
It is anaother object of the invention to provide a vending machine which has eliminated likelihood of miscounting which occurs at the time when different denominations of coins are simultaneously detected by detection switches.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a vending machine incorporating an escrow device which temporarily retains a large denomination coin sorted out by a coin acceptor and not used as change among inserted coins, such retention of the coin being effected by return and receiving levers capable of projecting into entrances to a coin path leading to a return outlet and a path leading to a cash box, and thereafter leads the retained coin to the return path by withdrawing the return lever when the coin is to be returned and to the cash box by withdrawing the receiving lever when purchase is made.